Piccad Cocktail.
3 Dashes Angostura Bitters.
1/2 Caperitif. (1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth)
1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz North Shore Distiller’s No. 11 Gin)
Shake well with two or three pieces of lemon rind and strain.
Still no real idea what Caperitif might have been, beyond a rich yellow quinquina, similar in character to vermouth.
Dolin Blanc, though a bit sweet, remains my current favorite substitution. And one of my current favorite vermouths. With its relatively large proportion of bitters (3 dashes!) this is a great cocktail to showcase both the character of angostura as a flavoring and that of Dolin Blanc.
Happy to report that North Shore’s products are now starting to show up in some liquor stores and bars! Even the Distiller’s No. 11, which remains one of my favorite new American gins.
Should you order this cocktail at tomorrow’s Savoy Night at Alembic Bar?
Did I mention this is a great cocktail? Yes? Well, let me just say it again, “this is a great cocktail!”
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Oom Paul Cocktail.
1 Dash Angostura Bitters.
1/2 Caperitif. (1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth)
1/2 Calvados. (1 oz Germain-Robin Apple Brandy)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass.
I’ve struggled with various substitutions for “Caperitif” over the course of these cocktails, and I don’t know if it’s just that I really like Dolin Blanc, but it was a very interesting foil for the flavors of the Apple Brandy in this relatively simple cocktail.
Intrigued enough with the results, I remade it with Calvados Groult Reserve and enjoyed it even more. I’m not sure if I agree with one friend’s assertion that, “Calvados is always better,” but in this case it was definitely more interesting than the American Apple Brandy.
If you like Apple Brandies as much as I do, this is a great cocktail to become familiar with their character.
Another unusually named cocktail with Caperitif. I should know by now that pretty much any cocktail with some weird ass name and Caperitif is going to have something to do with the Anglo Boer Wars.
From the Wikipedia entry for “Paul Kruger“:
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Oom Paul (Afrikaans: “Uncle Paul”) was State President of the South African Republic (Transvaal). He gained international renown as the face of Boer resistance against the British during the South African or Second Boer War (1899-1902).
More information here: “Who Was Paul Kruger”
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Modder River Cocktail
1/4 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
1/4 Caperitif. (1/2 oz St. Raphael Gold)
1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz North Shore Distiller’s No. 11)
(dash Angostura Orange Bitters)
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. (Squeeze orange peel over glass and discard.)
An enjoyable, if a bit odd combination.
Still no real idea what sort of “Aperitif” Caperitif was, so continuing to experiment with various aperitif wines.
St. Raphael Gold is growing on me. It does really remind me of Sherry, so it is a good contrast here to the Dry Vermouth.
The Modder River is a river in South Africa that forms part of the border between the Northern Cape and the Free State provinces.
It was, apparently, also the site of one of the rather famous battles during the Boer war.
British tactics, little changed from the Crimea, used at Modder River, Magersfontein, Colenso and Spion Kop were incapable of winning battles against entrenched troops armed with modern magazine rifles. Every British commander made the same mistake; Buller; Methuen, Roberts and Kitchener. When General Kelly-Kenny attempted to winkle Cronje’s commandoes out of their riverside entrenchments at Paardeburg using his artillery, Kitchener intervened and insisted on a battle of infantry assaults; with the same disastrous consequences as Colenso, Modder River, Magersfontein and Spion Kop.
Not a great day for the British…
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Manyann Cocktail
The Juice of 1 Lemon.
2 Dashes Curacao. (generous 1 tsp. Bols Dry Orange Curacao)
1/2 Gin. (1 oz Boodles Gin)
1/2 Caperitif. (1 oz St. Raphael Aperitif Gold)
Shake well and strain into port wine glass.
In the interest of my own edification, and in the absence of Caperitif, I picked up a bottle of St. Raphael Gold, having read it was some sort of Quinquina.
Uh, hmmm….
Well, the St. Raphael Gold is interesting.
To me it tastes more like a moderately sweet, pale sherry than a Quinquina. Odd, I’ve never before tried an Aperitif Wine that reminded me this much of a Sherry.
I’m also not sure what to make of the recipe. It’s about the only one in the Savoy that combines lemon with Caperitif, so it makes me suspect that it isn’t the Caperitif providing sweetness. That it was at least a somewhat dry aperitif.
To be honest, the Manyann might be pretty refreshing with a bit more curacao, ice, and some seltzer.
As written above, I can’t say I found it rated much more than a “drinkable”.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Jabberwock Cocktail*
2 Dashes Orange Bitters.
1/3 Dry Gin.
1/3 Dry Sherry.
1/3 Caperitif.
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top.
* This will make you gyre and gamble in the wabe until brillig all right, all right.
Right well, Vorpal Sword at ready, I tried this apparently Lewis Carrol inspired cocktail a couple ways. First using the cocktaildb suggested Caperitif substitution Lillet Blanc:
1 Dash Fee’s Orange; 1 Dash Regan’s Orange; 1 Dash Angostura; 1 oz Beefeater Gin; 1 oz Bodega Dios Baco Fino Sherry; 1 oz Lillet Blanc; Stir, Strain, Orange Peel.
Nope, no thank you. Next:
1 Dash Fee’s Orange; 1 Dash Regan’s Orange; 1 oz Broker’s Gin; 1 oz Bodega Dios Baco Fino Sherry; 1 oz sadly ancient, tired, and nearly empty Cocchi Americano; Stir, Strain, Orange Peel.
I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say, “O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” but, much better, anyway. Dammit! Anyone made any progress on a Kina Lillet replica?
I’m thinking some portion of: quinine tincture, cinnamon tincture, orange tincture, brandy, and muscat cannelli for the wine base. It’s probably not that simple, but that, at least, is a start.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Gin and Cape Cocktail
1/2 Caperitif. (generous 1 oz Lillet Blanc)
1/2 Dry Gin. (generous 1 oz No. 209 Gin)
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon (oops! used orange instead.) peel on top.
Again, no real idea what Caperitif may have been like, so substituting Lillet Blanc, as Cocktaildb.com suggests.
A perfectly enjoyable cocktail. A dash or two of bitters would probably perk it up quite a bit.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Capetown Cocktail
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
3 Dashes Curacao (Senior Curacao of Curacao)
1/2 Caperitif (1 1/2 oz Dubonnet Blanc)
1/2 Canadian Club Whisky (1 1/2 oz 40 Creek Barrel Select)
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. Lemon peel on top.
Initially the flavor of the Dubonnet seemed a bit strong. Grew on me though, and as I drank it I started to appreciate the interplay of the Dubonnet, bitters, curacao and lemon. By the time I finished, I was ready for another. Hallmark of a fine cocktail, I believe.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Cape Cocktail
1/3 Dry Gin (1 oz Boodles)
1/3 Caperitif (1 oz Dubonnet Blanc)
1/3 Orange Juice (1 oz Fresh Squeezed)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
Again experimenting with Dubonnet Blanc as a Caperitif replacement.
The cocktail is pleasant enough; but, significantly improved by the addition of a few drops of Regan’s Orange Bitters.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Cabaret Cocktail
1 Dash Absinthe (Verte de Fougerolles)
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
1/2 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Boodles Gin)
1/2 Caperitif (1 1/2 oz Dubonnet Blanc)
Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. Add a Cherry.
Boodles and Absinthe go very well together. As I am well known for enjoying Martini variaions, it will probably be no surprise to anyone that I quite enjoyed this cocktail. Though, I could do without the cherry.
My Lillet Blanc was getting tired tasting, so I thought I would give Dubonnet Blanc a try as a Caperitif Substitute. It’s an interesting difference and a nice change. The citrus is much stronger in the Lillet, and it also seems sweeter.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Bush-Ranger Cocktail
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1/2 Caperitif (1 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc)
1/2 Bacardi Rum (1 1/2 oz Santa Teresa Gran Reserva)
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. (Garnish with orange zest.)
Usually, Lillet and Orange are flavors I enjoy, however, with the rum here, my embellishment doesn’t quite work. Also, as usual, I have no idea how close a substitution Lillet blanc is for the defunct South African aperitif wine, Caperitif.
I like the more expensive Santa Teresa 1796 rum; but, remain kind of unimpressed by the Gran Reserva. It’s just not got a lot of character. Also, I think my Lillet is getting old and needs to be replaced. When the cocktail warmed up, I definitely detected a little “refrigerator” taste. I will probably re-try this cocktail at a later date with a different rum and some new aperitif wine.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
